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Chapter 9: Citrus and Over-the-Knee Socks
A weekend morning.
Yoshida, hair disheveled, sat at his computer scrolling through his inbox when his attention was snatched by a sudden pop-up ad.
"JK Theme Week! Up to 30% off select cosmetics!"
It was straightforward enough, but...
"Can high school girls wear makeup openly these days?"
"What?"
Sayu, who was busy wiping down the table, turned to him with a confused look.
"It's just, I happened to see this ad..."
As he read the content to her, Yoshida realized the event was being held not far from their place.
"I see. Honestly, I think it's rarer to find a girl who doesn't wear any makeup at all."
"Seriously...?"
Yoshida remembered that at his own high school, makeup had been strictly forbidden. He could still recall the occasional girl being hauled off by a faculty advisor for a lecture on school regulations. In his mind, makeup was a sign of rebellion for a high schooler—hardly something widely accepted by the public.
But since Sayu, a current high schooler, said so, he figured the times really had changed.
"What about you?"
"Eh?"
"I don't think I've ever seen you wear any."
"Hmm..." Sayu rested a slender finger against her chin and tilted her head. "I used to, sometimes. It depends on my mood."
"Is that so?"
Scanning Sayu's pretty, charming face—which still held a trace of childishness—Yoshida found it hard to imagine what she would look like with makeup on.
"Alright, let's go then."
Yoshida snapped his laptop shut and headed toward the bathroom.
"Go where?"
Though puzzled, Sayu habitually opened the wardrobe to pick out an outfit for him.
"To buy cosmetics," Yoshida replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, beginning to fix his hair in front of the mirror.
Despite being the one to suggest it, Yoshida felt a twinge of regret the moment they stepped into the shopping center.
Almost everyone passing by was either a couple or a fashionable woman with a look so sharp it made him look away. Feeling completely out of place, Yoshida was starkly reminded that this was, indeed, the heart of Tokyo. Occasionally, he'd see a man in a suit like himself out on a weekend, only to realize it was another middle-aged guy being led around by a young girl...
"Mr. Yoshida, sorry to keep you waiting~!"
The call that rescued him from his misery sounded like music to his ears. Letting out a long sigh of relief, he looked in Sayu's direction.
She wore a simple white hoodie, oversized in cut but tapering at the waist. The slightly long sleeves covered most of her hands, leaving only her fingers peeking out with an inexplicable cuteness. Her pink-and-white striped pleated skirt looked like a uniform at first glance, but it was far more vibrant. Beneath the skirt, her beautiful legs were encased in opaque black over-the-knee socks; the sliver of pale skin visible between the hem and the socks—the "absolute territory"—flickered as she walked, a sight that naturally invited the imagination. Her small leather shoes seemed to be the ones from her original uniform, but they didn't clash with the new clothes at all. If anything, they made the look better.
"Ah..."
Yoshida was mesmerized. Because Sayu usually wore tracksuits at home lately, he had almost forgotten that beneath her pretty face, she possessed a truly graceful figure.
"Aren't you going to say something~?"
Sayu stood before him, hands behind her back and giggling, clearly satisfied with his reaction.
"You look great."
His vocabulary failed him; those were the only words he could find.
"That sounds just like your style, Mr. Yoshida."
Not taking offense at the dry compliment, Sayu handed him a paper bag and stepped to his side, linking her arm through his without a hint of hesitation.
"What's this?"
Feeling the soft sensation of her breast against his arm, Yoshida uncomfortably adjusted his shoulder and lifted the bag.
"Honestly, I can't just throw my old clothes away, can I? Plus, I bought some spares."
As she led him toward the cosmetics counter, Sayu let out a cute hum of feigned annoyance.
Oh, right. Which means... her old clothes she just took off are in here...
The thought made Yoshida's face suddenly flush.
To rewind a bit: considering it would be like a public execution to make a young girl walk around in a shapeless tracksuit, and that wandering around in broad daylight in an obvious school uniform would be too conspicuous, Yoshida had split up from Sayu shortly after leaving the house. He'd sent her to buy a new set of casual clothes first, which led to this reveal.
How do I put it... Sayu really is a young girl who knows how to dress herself, he thought. For Yoshida, the "destructive power" of this outfit was entirely unexpected. For the same price, he could only buy himself a boring set of shirts and slacks.
Following the signs, they walked past transparent display cases filled with exquisite items of all shapes and sizes, shimmering under the lights. To Yoshida, most of these objects were utterly alien. Walking through such a place with a woman for the first time gave him a strange sensation—a mix of nervousness and lightheadedness. Sayu clung tightly to his side, matching his pace and occasionally explaining the uses of various cosmetics. Occasionally, they passed other "age-gap" pairs who didn't look like conventional couples; both of them tacitly chose to ignore them.
"Is there anything you want?"
After a full circuit back to their starting point, Sayu hadn't shown an obvious interest in any specific product. Yoshida decided to just ask.
"What kind of scents do you like, Mr. Yoshida?"
"What? Scents? Ah... perfume? Just pick one you like."
Caught off guard by her answering his question with another question, Yoshida blinked. Then, following her gaze to the display case in front of them, the realization hit him.
"Since I'm living in your house, it would be a huge blow if you said I smelled bad. Of course it's better to use a scent you like. Mm-hmm, that's right."
Sayu nodded cutely, and the silhouette of her breasts beneath the hoodie seemed to tremble slightly with the movement.
"Ugh..."
Yoshida looked away. While he was certain he wouldn't be so cruel as to say such a thing, he couldn't just brush her off now. Knowing absolutely nothing about perfume, he rested his chin in his hand and fell into deep thought.
"Well, do you have any favorite fruits?"
Seeing him struggle, Sayu switched to an easier question.
"Fruits... fruits, huh..."
Yoshida wasn't the type to keep a stocked fruit bowl at home. If he ever felt the need for vitamins or fiber, he'd usually just buy a can of vegetable juice from a vending machine for peace of mind.
But, speaking of fruit...
"Oranges, I guess. I quite like them."
Whenever he went back to his parents' house for New Year's, his mother would always bring a few oranges for him while he lazily hid under the kotatsu. It was one of his few pleasant memories related to fruit.
"Then we'll go with a citrus tone..."
Sayu muttered thoughtfully. After speaking with the counter lady for a moment, she took a sample from her.
"Try this~"
After spritzing the perfume twice on the side of her neck, Sayu flashed a mischievous smile and leaned in close to Yoshida.
The girl tilted her face up and slowly closed her eyes. Because she was arching her back slightly, her chest made its presence strongly known. Her cherry-blossom lips, perhaps coated with a bit of balm, were slightly parted as if craving something.
"Mr. Yoshida?"
Receiving no response for a long time, Sayu whispered his name. Yoshida, who had unconsciously leaned his face in, snapped awake. He took a half-step back, feeling guilty, and stole a glance at the counter lady. She maintained her professional smile, her eyes vacant as if to say she saw absolutely nothing.
"Mr. Yoshida~"
Muttering something about "getting this over with" to himself, Yoshida reached out and loosely embraced the now-pouting Sayu. He leaned down, burying his head in the crook of her neck.
It definitely smelled like oranges, but not as tart as the ones in his memories. Beyond that, there was an indescribable sensation that made his heart race. He could hear Sayu's breathing in his ear. She didn't say a word, only gently held him; because of that, her chest was pressed right against his through their clothes.
And then, Yoshida got an erection.
"It's good. I really like it... I mean, the perfume."
Pulling away from Sayu's embrace, Yoshida was momentarily afraid to look her in the eye. His "little Yoshida," lacking self-control, seemed to have bumped into something just now. He wondered if Sayu had noticed through the fabric.
"Then I'll take this one~"
Her expression was normal—no, she was smiling a bit more than usual. Sayu turned around to take the item to the register.
"Is that all you need?"
"Yeah, I really like it too. I mean, the perfume~"
Yoshida didn't ask anything else. He shut his mouth and followed her, feeling a twinge of frustration at how easily he had been toyed with by a high school girl.
"Haa, so heavy... ugh, I told you I didn't want this, but Mr. Yoshida still... all of this..."
"Stop making weird noises and just get inside. The bags in my hands are heavy too!"
Sweating profusely, Yoshida unlocked the door and followed Sayu into the house, lugging several large bags.
"It's your own fault. Give me that bag."
Since it was a rare outing for the two of them, Sayu had asked what he wanted to eat while they passed through the food section. The result was the mountain of groceries currently clogging the entryway.
"I don't even know if it'll all fit in the fridge. Anyway, we should use the perishables over the next two days... Ah, you go rest, Mr. Yoshida. I'll call you when I'm done."
Sayu spoke while efficiently sorting the groceries into the fridge. Noticing how out of place Yoshida looked trying to help, she smilingly shooed him out of the kitchen.
"Phew..."
Standing on the balcony for a smoke, Yoshida let out a long breath as he watched Sayu's back. Seeing her return to her daily routine of handling housework brought back a sense of familiarity, and the faint anxiety he'd felt earlier began to dissipate.
It's too early. At least, for now...
But something had definitely changed.
Being a man, Yoshida's eyes inevitably lingered on Sayu's legs, encased in those black over-the-knee socks, for a long moment. It wasn't until she finished putting away the food that he reluctantly turned his head away, ending his overly blatant peeping.
Meanwhile, on the other side...
"I guess that counts as a win for me."
Carrying her shopping bag into the bedroom, Sayu talked to herself. She began stuffing various types of socks—in quantities that clearly exceeded her daily needs—into the wardrobe.